Tag: Battle River-Crowfoot by-election

Ten big questions about Alberta separatism in 2025

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date May 16, 2025

The Alberta Prosperity Project’s Jeffrey Rath shows off the separatist group’s proposed referendum question in Calgary (source: Facebook).

Is Premier Danielle Smith a separatist? Is the UCP a separatist party?

The biggest difference between today’s Alberta separatist push and past efforts is that today’s most vocal separatists are operating within the governing UCP. Premier Danielle Smith gave her tacit public support for these groups in an online video address earlier this month and she knows that any direct effort to try to stop it would turn those groups, which included some of the UCP’s most enthusiastic activists, against her.

Many of those enthusiastic separatists inside the UCP helped topple former Premier Jason Kenney in 2022 and propel Smith to victory in the leadership race that followed. Writer Jen Gerson cleverly described Smith’s situation through one rule of politics: you get ate by the dragon you ride in on.

Read more on the Daveberta Substack

Tags Alberta First Pension Plan, Alberta NDP, Alberta Prosperity Project, Alberta Separation Referendum, Alberta Separatism, Amarjeet Sohi, Battle River-Crowfoot by-election, Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul, Brian Jean, Cameron Davies, Commonwealth of Alberta Delegation to Washington, Corey Hogan, Damien Kurek, Daniel Warwick, Danielle Smith, Darby-rae Crouch, Dennis Modry, Dodgy Contracts Scandal, Edmonton-Ellerslie, Edmonton-Ellerslie by-election, Edmonton-Strathcona, Edmonton-Strathcona by-election, Eric Bouchard, Fred Munn, Free Alberta Strategy, Greg Desjarlais, Gurtej Singh Brar, Jason Kenney, Jason Stephan, Jeffrey Rath, Jen Gerson, Jyoti Gondek, Mark Carney, Mickey Amery, Mitch Sylvestre, Naheed Nenshi, Naresh Bhardwaj, Nathan Cooper, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills by-election, Peter Guthrie, Peter Weichler, Pierre Poilievre, Republican Party of Alberta, Rob Anderson, Scott Sinclair, Tara Sawyer, Travis Toews, United Conservative Party, Western Canada Concept, Western Separation, Wexit

Alberta Politics

Alberta Speaker Nathan Cooper is going to Washington DC

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date May 8, 2025

Alberta Legislative Assembly Speaker Nathan Cooper wearing the newly designed western-style tricorn hat designed by Smithbilt Hats Inc. (source: Legislative Assembly of Alberta)

Also: Six thoughts on Danielle Smith’s separatist threats

After ten years as the MLA for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills and nearly six years as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Nathan Cooper is leaving the Legislature to take up a new job as Alberta’s senior representative to the United States.

In a statement released yesterday, Premier Danielle Smith announced that Cooper would replace representative James Rajotte, who recently stepped down after filling the role since 2020.

Punchy Nenshi calls on Danielle Smith to stop playing Alberta separatist games

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date May 5, 2025

Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi (source: Dave Cournoyer)

Also: Pierre Poilievre running in Battle River—Crowfoot by-election, gets unwelcome greetings from UCP VP

Naheed Nenshi’s speech was upbeat and touched on a lot of traditional NDP points about public health care, public education and rights for workers, but he was most animated when ripping into Premier Danielle Smith’s threat that the Liberal Party’s re-election would spark an unprecedented national unity crisis and her flirtation with Alberta separatists.

‘I will be damned if we ever let Danielle Smith tear the country down,’ Nenshi said. “Alberta’s New Democrats will always, always, always stand with the millions and millions of Canadians who believe in a stronger, more unified country,” Nenshi said.

“No more playing stupid separatist games with the future of our province! No more disrespecting Indigenous communities! No more disrespecting Albertans!”